Divers group knocks report

DURHAM, N.C. – The Durham-based Divers Alert Network has criticized a report on the organization in the Independent Weekly.

In its January 15 edition, the magazine reported the nonprofit’s board, citing mismanagement and personal use of corporate funds, had forced CEO Peter Bennett to retire early.

But in a January 27 letter to the Independent, R.W. “Bill” Hamilton, chair of the group’s board, says the report “appears to be drawn primarily from court documents” in a lawsuit filed by Bennett and three colleagues against five members of the group’s board.

The report, Hamilton says, “does not make nearly clear enough that most of the accusations are not substantiated and may not be true.”

He also says “implications that Dr. Bennett and allies were ‘helping themselves’ are incorrect and blatantly unfair to Peter Bennett, and are damaging to DAN.”